OLB Jared Verse had to workout with All-Pro DT Aaron Donald because . . .

Jared Verse seized the baton directly from the Rams legend

If you have watched the Marvel movie - Captain America: The First Avenger, you know that even before he was administered the Super Soldier serum, Steve Rogers had no quit in him. He was a 98-pound weakling, but his catch phrase was comical: "Had enough? I can do this all day."

At a deeper level, that is the motive behind Jared Verse's open challenge. This was not about beating Aaron Donald in a weight room. This was more about paying homage to a Rams legend, and in return, laying claim to the baton that Aaron Donald still held in the eyes of many Rams fans.

Deer flee from predators. Bears hunt. And Jared Verse will always be a lightning rod. He will not shrink away from a challenge; rather, he chooses to embrace the challenge that he often instigates. He holds the essence of a passionate competitor, willing to face even the legendary Aaron Donald if only to measure himself against one of the NFL greats.

In this case, Jared Verse fell short. Well, this time.

Verse is not about the accolades, the applause, the bright lights, or the big stage. He truly is about becoming the best version of himself and is willing to do everything necessary to achieve that constant state of self-improvement.

Should the 2024 Defensive Rookie of the Year have been content? If you believe that, then you haven't followed the career of Jared Verse. In the competitive world of the NFL, you either improve or you don't. Verse knows this. He attacks every practice, every drill, and every day in competition with his true friend and teammate, Braden Fiske.

But he is also in competition with himself. By challenging Aaron Donald, he has proven to both coaches and players that he is taking on the next level. And that means that he is willingly prepared to do what it takes to get there.